by Robin Kemp
Today is the day.
The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Remember your mask and snacks and bring a folding chair if you need one.
If you still need to drop off your paper absentee ballot, you have until 7 p.m. to place it in a secure county ballot box or to turn it in at the Elections and Registration Office. Do not mail your paper ballot today–it will not be counted in time.
Clayton County has seven new precincts out of 65, so be sure to check your My Voter Page and make sure of where you need to go to cast your ballot.
The National Weather Service says you should watch out for patchy frost after an overnight low around 37 degrees–so bundle up for the wait at the polls. Today’s high should be around 64 degrees.
87,903 Clayton County registered voters cast their ballots early, according to Elections and Registration.
Clayton County has put up large signs with the county’s new logo in front of local precincts like Fountain Elementary School on West Street in Forest Park.
You can get a $25 credit to ride Lyft to the polls today, courtesy of the NAACP, by using the code NAACPVOTE2020.
You also can download a voucher good for $8 off your Uber to and from the polls, courtesy of MARTA, if your precinct was affected by recent COVID-19 bus route suspensions.
Although his name does not appear on the printed ballot, former Georgia State Patrolman Dwayne Fabian is a qualified write-in candidate for the Clayton County Sheriff runoff. Victor Hill’s name appears on the ballot.
If you have an issue with voting, you can call any of several numbers to report it:
- Georgia Secretary of State Voter Fraud Hotline: 877-725-9797
- Election Protection English: 866-OUR-VOTE – Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Election Protection Spanish/English: 888-VE-Y-VOTA – NALEO Educational Fund
- Election Protection Arabic/English: 844-YALLA-US – Arab American Institute (AAI)
- Election Protection Asian Languages/English: 888-API-VOTE – APIAVote & Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
Avoid wearing campaign clothing or buttons to the polls.
Don’t bring firearms to the polls.
Don’t try to influence the vote of anyone around you at the polls.
Don’t take “ballot selfies.”
Be prepared to wait several days for final election results, as overseas military ballots and the sheer volume of advance paper ballots that need to be tallied will take a while–let alone any last-minute challenges that may happen.
If you have a news tip about voting today, please send it to us using the form on our website, by e-mail, or by sending a brief text to 404-547-1171. Be sure to include. your first and last name and a short description of the issue.
